Shoe-heel attachment.



L. C. EAST.

SHOE HEEL ATTACHMENT.

I PPLIOATION FILED JAN. 18, 1913.

1 071,147. Patented Aug. 26, 1913. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l. 5- o Jij.

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L. o. EAST. SHOE HEEL ATTACHMENT. v.APLIOATIGIT FILED JAN. 1B. 1913.

` 1,071,147, Patented Aug.26, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f//////////////////////////////////// WMM/Mm mmf/@Wm LEE C. EAST, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

SHOE-HEEL ATTACHMENT.

Speeicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1.913.

Application tiled January 18, 1913. Serial No. 742,821.

To all @07mm t may concern:

Be it known that l, Lne C. EAs'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at maha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Yimprovements in Shoe-Heel Attachments, of which the following` is a specilication.

This invention relates to a shoe heel attachment of the class adapted to prevent slipping on ice or like surfaces, and has for its object to provide an article for this purpose which will be durable in wear, effective for the purposes described, and which may be economically manufactured.

The invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawing, wherein,-

Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of the device, applied to the bottom of a shoe heel, Eig. 2 showing the prongs when thrown outwardly of the bearing-plate, Eig. 1 showing the prongs when withdrawn from their outward position. The remaining figures, with the exception of Eig. 1G, are on an enlarged scale. Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, are plan and front views of the housing plate. Eig. is a plan view of the operating-plate. Fig.

(5 is a view of the operating-plate, being a section on line G G of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of tho inner side of the hearingplate. E ig. 8 is a sectional view of the bearing-plate, on line 8 8 of Eig. 7. Eig. 9 is an end View of the housing-plate. Eig. 10 is an end view of the operating-plate. Fig. 1l is an end view of a two-pronged tooth ine-mber. Figs. 12 and 13 are plan views of the same. Fig. 14 is a transverse section through the shoe heel, the view being enlarged and on line 14 14 of Eig. 2. Eig. 15 is a sectional view, enlarged, on line A,l5 15 otl Eig. 1. E ig. 1G is a transverse sect-ion on line 1G 16 of Eig. 2, the parts being shown as reversed or inverted.

Referring now to the dli'awing for more particular description, numeral l indicates the heel of a shoe having a suitable recess 2 formed to open upon its bottom, within which the device may be seated and secured to the heel by keepers or screws 3.

At 4 is indicated a bearing-plate formed with apertures 5, and suitably journaled in the plate and adapted to be normally disposed in apertures 5 are tooth-men'lbers 6.

l Vilhile l have shown three of said apertures and three teeth, any lesser or greater number may be employed, if desired. Each moth-member is infeferabl)7 of V-shape to `provide prongs ay and and, preferably, these prongs are formed tapered outwardly from the base c; and the base may be provided at its ends with pivots or .trunnions d for mountings in .suitable` grooves e formed in the\bearing-plate, said grooves opening upon the inner face of said plate and upon apertures 5. Means are provided for causing coincident, swinging movements of the tooth-members in an arc of substantially 90 degrees, and for maintaining them after they have been swung, so that prong a of each tooth-member will be disposed outwardly of and at substantially right angles to plate 4, prongs being then disposed in apertures 5.

At 7 is indicated an operating-plate adapted to be reciprocated long ritudinailY by manually moving its handle 8. It is provided at longitudinal intervals with apertures 9, the transverse walls of said apertures being of wedge-shape or inclined. as indicated at f. Prong b of each toothmember G is preferably formed with an out` wardly extending point or projection g. Since the prongs a and o of each tooth-member are of the same thickness, substantially, as plate 4, projections g may be disposed within apertures 9 of the operating-.pla.te, outwardly of the plane of said plate 4, and by referring' to Fig. 14 of the drawing it will be seen that when the 0perating-plate is moved in one direction, the inclined walls f of plate Y will engage projections g and thereby will cause prongs Z; to be elevated. prongs a thereupon being swung toward apertures 5.

At 10 is .indicated a housing-plate provided with apertures 11. lt has a width somewhat less than ,plate 4, and prefe `ably it is bent angularly near its side edges to provide supports or spacing-members L, and when .the par-ts are assembled, members 7i are adapted to hear upon the inner side of plate 4. Screws or keepers 3 are adapted to traverse plates 4 and V1() when the device is secured in recess 2, and by reason o-f the construction, the operatingplate 7 is slidably mounted between said plates 4 and 10.

in practice, the operator muy cause longitudinal reciprocation ot plate 7 by manual use of its handle 8, wall L having a recess z' formed therein (F ig. 3) and traversed b y a part of said handle; and recess z' has a suitable length so that the handle may move a sufficient distance to cause a swinging movement of each tooth-member 6 in an arc of substantially 90 degrees.

At 7c is indicated a ledge, elongated lug or projection formed on the edge of plate l0 adjacent to recess 2'., and in operation it is an obstruction to the free movement of handle S. T he adjustment is such, however, that this handle, since it is elastic, may be forcibly moved to occupy a position at either end of ledge 7c, said handle frictionally engaging said ledge during its movements, and in operation, the elongated lug or ledge tends to prevent any longitudinal movement of plate 7, after said handle is disposed at one of the ends of said ledge.

lt will be understood that the provision of the operating-plate with its handle, during one of its movements, isV to cause prongs u, to move from their normal position in apertures 5 to be disposed outwardly of and substantially at right angles to plate t, so that these prongs may prevent 'slipping of the shoe on ice or similar surfaces, also to cause prongs at this time to be disposed in apertures 5 to prevent foreign substances from entering therein.

By referring to Fig. 14 of the drawing it will be seen tiat when prongs a are projecting outwardly of apertures 5, plate 7 will bear upon the prong o of each tooth-ineinber and will prevent any lateral movement of prongs a, this obviously being a desired feature, so that said prongs a may adequately bear all stresses to be sustained by them. lt will be noted that, at this time, no stresses are sustained by the pivots (Z, the pressure being communicated from prongs a to plates 7 and 10, and therefore the parts are considered to be durable. The opposite movement of the operating-plate and its handle will cause upward swinging movements of prongs b from apertures 5, and when the shoe is in use, the stresses will be sustained by plates et, 7 and 10, prongs a being then disposed in the plane of the bearing-plate, within apertures 5.

Among some of the advantages to be derived by use of the herein described shoe heel attachment, it may be stated that the parts are few and simple and may be conveniently manufactured. The teeth may be swung coineidently and conveniently for the purposes described, and the arrangement for sustaining stresses is such that the liability is quite remote for a breakage or injury of any of the parts. 'Vhile I have illustrated and explained these parts in detail to describe one embodiment of the invention, I do not wish to he understood as limiting myself to exactness of construction, the scope of the invention being determined by the claims.

'What l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

l. An attachment for the purpose described, comprising a bearing-plate providedwith a triangular aperture; a pivotally mounted substantially V-shaped tooth-ineinber providing tapered prongs and adapted to have swinging movements to dispose said prongs, in alternation, in said aperture.

2. An attachment for the purpose described, comprising a bearing-plate provided with an aperture; a pivotallv mounted tooth-member provided with prongs substantially conforming in shape to said aperture and arranged to have swinging movements to dispose said prongs, in alternation, within said aperture.

S. A shoe heel attachment comprising a bearing-plate provided with a plurality of triangular apertures, pivotally mounted V- shaped tooth-members forming prongs conforming substantially to the shape of said apertures; means to rotate said tooth-members coincidently in an are substantially of 90 degrees the prongs of each tooth-member being disposed in alternation, within said apertures.

4. A shoe heel attachment comprising a bearing-plate provided with a plurality of apertures; a plurality of tooth-members each consisting of a pair of connected prongs substantially conforming in shape to the form of the apertures of said bearing-plate: means to cause swinging movements of said tooth-members, the prongs of each member being disposed, in alternation, within said apertures, and so arranged that one of said prongs of each tooth-member will be disposed outwardly of and substantially at right angles to said plate at the time the other prong thereof is disposed in one of.

said apertures.

5. An attachment of the class described, comprising an apertured bearing-plate: tooth-members, each consisting of a pair of connected prongs substantially conforming in shape to the form of said apertures; an operating-plate bearing upon the bearingplate; means to cause longitudinal reciprocation of the operating-plate to dispose the prongs of each tooth-member in alternation. in the apertures of the bearing-plate, one of the prongs of each tooth-member being disposed outwardly of said plate at the time the other prong thereof is disposed in one of said apertures: and 4means tending to prevent a longitudinal movement of the operating-plate.

6. ln a shoe heel attachment, the combination of an outer, apertured bearing-plate, an inner housing-plate in engagement therewith; a plurality of tooth-members provided with prongs and carried by the bearing-plate; and an operating-plate movable intermediate the housing-plate and bearingplate for causing the prongs of each toothmember to be disposed, in alternation, within an aperture of the bearing-plate.

7. In a shoe heel attachment, the combination of an outer, apertured bearing-plate, an inner housing-plate contact therewith; a plurality of tooth-members provided with prongs and Carried by the bearing-plate; an operating-plate movable intermediate the housing-plate and bearing-plate for causing the prongs of each tooth-member to be disposed, in alternation, within the apertures of the bearing-plate; and means tending to prevent a movement of the operating-plate after a prong of a tooth-member is disposed in an aperture of said bearing-plate.

8. In a Shoe heel attachment, the combination of an outer, apertured bearing-plate, an inner housing-plate in engagement therewith; an operatingeplate provided with a lever and disposed between the housingplate and bearing-plate; a plurality of pivotally mounted tooth-members; said lever being movable to cause slidingl Inovements of the operating-plate, the prongs of each tooth-member engaging, in alternation, within the apertures of the bearing plate.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEE C. EAST.

I/Vitnesses:

HIRAM A. STURGES, A. F. CLARK.

Cop'i'es of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

